Young scientist of the year's invention could clean water for 1.1 billion

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Young scientist of the year's invention could clean water for 1.1 billion

this is a discussion within the Everything Else Community Forum; A New Hampshire 14 year old has won America’s Top Young Scientist prize for her innovative clean water system, which has great potential for people suffering natural disasters and those living in war zones.
Ninth grader Deepika Kurup’s very green ...

Young scientist of the year's invention could clean water for 1.1 billion

A New Hampshire 14 year old has won America’s Top Young Scientist prize for her innovative clean water system, which has great potential for people suffering natural disasters and those living in war zones.

Ninth grader Deepika Kurup’s very green technology could help the more than 1.1 billion people throughout the world without access to clean water. Her prototype takes solar energy and uses it to disinfect contaminated water in an innovative, cost effective, and sustainable system.
Every year since 2008, Discovery Education and 3M hold an annual competition where young American innovators develop solutions to everyday problems, competing not just for the title but also for cash prizes.
Kurup’s technology won her the prestigious title of America’s Top Young Scientist 2012 -- as well as a whopping $25,000 and a trip from Discovery Student Adventures.
The ten young finalists competed in a live competition at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, in October.
Each finalist had worked with a 3M scientist mentor who provided advice as the young scientists took their ideas from a theoretical concept through to a working prototype over the summer.
'Kurup and the rest of this year’s finalists have shown incredibly innovative thinking.'
- Discovery Education CEO Bill Goodwyn
At the final competition, finalists not only presented their prototypes to a panel of judges but had to tackle two other challenges on the spot. In the first test, the young scientists had to take multiple 3M technologies and combine them to create a new solution. In the second challenge, the finalists had to use science and engineering to build a machine designed to turn on a light bulb.
Scientific knowledge, creativity and 3M technology use were all evaluated by the judges.
“The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a perfect example of the importance for companies to join forces to ignite students’ natural curiosity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects and encourage them to pursue STEM careers in the future," Discovery Education CEO Bill Goodwyn noted. "Kurup and the rest of this year’s finalists have shown incredibly innovative thinking, and I am certain that they will be prepared to compete in today’s global economy and create a bright future for our country.”